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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Recommended

I love the library because I love books.

But I also love the library because I love movies. I can check out DVDs- for free. Sure, the movies ain't last season's box office smash hits (not like I want to watch those anyways), but sometimes you really can score a good flick.

Living cable-free for almost four months leaves no more temptations to watch Tila Tequila, but I do say that I miss the Food Network and the History Channel. I occasionally watch with the bunny ears, flipping through static channels, and magically my tv transmits MTV Tres, latin@ MTV! Tons of reggaeton, Shakira, and Pimp My Ride. But as the picture on that station goes in and out, so does my attention. That's when it's movie time.

Here's what I've watched in the last few weeks. Like many coincidences in my life, these movies had similar themes, particularly family.

Eat Drink Man Woman- Traditional Taiwanese family turns untraditional, but still makes tradition with a weekly Sunday dinner, elaborately prepared by Chef daddy. Many surprises come along the way, just like a traditional Chinese dinner.

The Namesake- Indian husband and wife emigrate to the US and start a family. The son (played by dude from Harold and Kumar) loses his traditional Indian ways in the New York lifestyle. But nonetheless, when circumstances arise, he remembers that family, by any definition, is what's really important.

Journey from the Fall- After the Vietnam War and the uprise of communism, one family, among many others, was torn apart, leaving the father in re-education camp and the rest to hop on the boat. A Vietnamese folk tale of Le Loi concurrently tells the story of the family left behind as well as create a new story of struggles of life in a new place.

These movies really touched me. I think it's because of the common struggles that all families face, no matter where they come from.